We present the development of a high throughput phase contrast screening system based on LWFA Xray
sources for plant imaging. We upgraded the INRS laser-betatron beam line and we illustrate its
imaging potential through the innovative development of new tools for addressing issues relevant to
global food security. This initiative, led by the Global Institute of Food Security (GIFS) at the U of
Saskatchewan, aims to elucidate that part of the function that maps environmental inputs onto specific
plant phenotypes. The prospect of correlating phenotypic expression with adaptation to environmental
stresses will provide researchers with a new tool to assess breeding programs for crops meant to thrive
under the climate extremes.